“This is the site where Jejungwon was located. It was established by Missionary Horace Allen and was the place where the very first Sunday worship service in Korea took place 131 years ago.”
In front of the Jejungwon site, now the grounds of the Constitutional Court of Korea in Jongno-gu, Rev. Seok Gwang-ho (assistant pastor at Namdaemoon Presbyterian Church) explained his church’s history to the 30 members who participated in the pilgrimage on June 19 to commemorate the 131st anniversary of that first Sunday service (June 21, 1885). The faith community of Jejungwon, a clinic established by medical missionary Allen (1858∼1932), gave birth to Namdaemoon Presbyterian Church (Rev. Son Yun-tak).
Article and photo by reporter Lee Yongsang (sotong203@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Original Article in Korean:
한국교회 역사 연 제중원 첫 예배, 신앙의 뿌리 되새겨: 남대문교회 ‘첫 공식 주일예배 131주년’ 기념 예배
Related Articles:
Missionary Horace Allen’s Jejungwon Was Presbyterian + Methodist Ecumenical Ministry
Recreating Korea’s First Protestant Sunday Service After 130 Years, as in Horace Allen’s Diary
Jejungwon History Pilgrimage Reminds Korean Church of Its Faith Roots
2016-06-21 11:17